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18/04/2020

E’ tornato l’inconfondibile asparago violetto

The violet asparagus is unmistakable: of an intense purple color tinged towards the base, it has medium-large shoots (the delicious buds) with well-closed buds. Less fibrous than the "colleagues", it has a delicate and basically sweet taste. The color depends on its genetic characteristics: in fact it has 40 chromosomes instead of 20, like all other asparagus, and for these reasons it is impossible to cross with other varieties: the result would be completely sterile "children" and therefore the end of the species. It is a variety of asparagus with a medium-late ripening with little productivity per hectare: it is therefore a limited production. And it is in the plain of Albenga with its alluvial soils, that it finds the specific characteristics for its cultivation (completely manual), thanks to the deep sandy and silty layer and also to the microclimate. Requires constant care and a proven technique for harvesting. Also for this reason its production has been progressively abandoned. In the thirties of the twentieth century this variety was in fact cultivated on more than 300 hectares, in the Seventies less than half and today it is concentrated on less than 10. "In our family - says Silvia Parodi, who leads the small agricultural town of Campochiesa d'Albenga agritourism company The Collar con il marito Marco – coltiviamo asparagi dall’inizio degli anni Cinquanta. Per gustarli appieno è consigliabile cucinarli con semplicità, senza coprirne il sapore e il profumo inimitabili: meglio lessarli poco e condirli con un ottimo olio extravergine: davvero favolosi! Dove trovarli? Al Rural Market di Parma.